Week 3 - Stay with Us

That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.  As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them.  But God kept them from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”  

They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”

“What things?” Jesus asked.

“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.

“Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”

Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus unfolded to them the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!

 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, ³⁴ who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”

Luke 24:13-34

After all that had happened on this day and all that they had discussed along the road, the travelers begged the Stranger – who seemed ready to move on elsewhere – to stay the night with them. Their togetherness was moving beyond polite conversation into a genuine connection. This Stranger understood them, their grief, their questions, and their faith. He was a good companion and they wanted to enjoy his company awhile longer.

It wasn’t until the Stranger offered thanks and broke the bread that everything clicked. They had seen this picture before: the table, the bread the wine, the thanks, the breaking, that amazing sense of hope in their hearts. It was just like…the last supper they shared with Jesus just days ago!

Scripture says that suddenly everything changed: their eyes were opened and they recognized that the Stranger at their table was Jesus, raised from the dead. How different their evening – and their lives – may have been had they not asked the Lord to stay with them.

Jesus longs to be more than a stranger to us as well. We may have known a lot about God for a long time and maybe we even pray, but He invites us to move beyond acquaintance and conversation to real connection. All we need to do is to invite Him to stay with us. When He comes in, everything changes in us: our eyes become open and we suddenly see that God has been with us, loving us, all along.

The Real Question: Is there a place in my heart where I have not invited Jesus to stay with me? Do I desire His company there?

Family Talk: What does it mean to say “Jesus is my Lord”?

ONE in Prayer: Jesus, I want you to make Yourself at home in me. I welcome you into my heart and life, even into the places that I am ashamed of. I know that Your loving presence will change everything, and that is what I want. Amen.

Week 3 - Hearts That Burn

That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.  As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them.  But God kept them from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”  

They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”

“What things?” Jesus asked.

“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.

“Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”

Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus unfolded to them the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!

 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, ³⁴ who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”

Luke 24:13-34

When was the last time your heart was moved by the presence of something you didn’t fully understand but somehow knew, felt and experienced?
 

That’s what followers of Jesus were experiencing on the road as they walked with the Stranger who methodically helped them to connect the dots of all that had been happening with the heart of God. Their own hearts began to “burn” with a new energy, a fire of truth and love.

In our culture, we over-dramatize and manufacture emotion so much that we often remain numb to the real things that ought to move us. We weep at Hallmark commercials, but blankly stare at the evening news. We quickly drive past deteriorating neighborhoods in our own city, but cry when a single family somewhere across the country is awarded a new home on a TV show.

Where are our hearts? Are they on the road? Are they awake and listening to God’s story being unfolded in our lives? Are they burning with the realization that God is redeeming the world right in front of us, where we live, calling us to be a part of His work?

Noticing the energy and activity of the Spirit of Jesus in our hearts is a choice. We can allow God’s heart to take up residence in our heart, or we can just keep moving numbly down the road. Most of us choose to stay numb, because waking up would mean that we would be forever changed and find ourselves running in a new direction. But that is exactly what life is like for followers of Jesus.

The Real Question: When was the last time that I allowed myself to be moved by the heart of God for someone else? How do I allow myself to become numb to what is really happening around me?

Family Talk: What is one thing you noticed that is wrong, unfair or bad and it made you sad or angry?

ONE in Prayer: Jesus, I want my heart to burn with Your heart for the people and situations I see around me. Wake me up with Your Spirit so that I can join You in Your mission of loving and redeeming the world. Amen.

In February 2010, I sat on a plane heading for my first pilgrimage to a third world country.  I had no idea what to expect – what I would experience, how it would impact me, how it would ruin me.  And ruin me it has.  Never before had I loved, cried, hurt or praised God more deeply.  Through these amazing orphaned children, God ripped a hole in my soul.   I now see my comfortable affluent life through these children’s eyes and this revelation demands and screams for a response.   I don’t know the full extent of this response.  Today it is to be aware, to listen, to notice, to not forget, and to share the story with anyone who will listen.  Tomorrow….?

- Jamie

Family Activity - Clown of God

This week's scripture (Luke 24:13-34) explores the transformation that happened in the lives of two disciples along the path to Emmaus when they encountered Christ. The story of "The Clown of God" also explores the transformation of the main character over time culminating in his encounter with Christ on Christmas.

Begin the activity by reading "The Clown of God" as a family. There are numeous copies of this book available at Mid-Continent Libraries as well as online through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders. Lakeland also has several copies available for sale for $8.

After you have completed the story, look over the attached "Path of Life" worksheet that charts Giovanni's life. Discuss how God had been walking with Giovanni all along his path, even before he knew who God really was. A sample dialogue may go as follows:

- "When Giovanni was a little boy and had to beg for his food, how do you think God walked with him and blessed him?" [He provided him with the talent of juggling, and brought people into his life to help him to have food]

- "What did the brothers teach Giovanni when they met? How did God work through the brother to speak to Giovanni?"

-"How was Giovanni changed as he grew older and was no longer able to juggle? Where did he turn when he had no where else to go?"

Once you have talked through Giovanni's life, bring out a blank "Path of Life" worksheet for everyone and begin to discuss the events in everyone's life to this point. Start to examine where God has been walking alongside each person, even when they may not have recognized Him. Talk about the changes that have taken place along the path, and how God has been a part of all of it. Begin to explore where everyone's path may yet be leading, and how God is always walking beside us as we CHANGE.

Please bring your completed "Path of Life" worksheet to Katie Schultz on Sunday, or scan and email your completed sheets to asone.lakeland@gmail.com to share on our As One wall at Lakeland.

*** Click on the worksheets below to enlarge and save for printing.***

Week 3 - Being Unfolded

That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.  As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them.  But God kept them from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”  

They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”

“What things?” Jesus asked.

“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.

“Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”

Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus unfolded to them the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!

 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, ³⁴ who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”

Luke 24:13-34

The friends who walked the road to Emmaus knew a lot about God. They had studied Scripture probably all of their lives, growing up in a highly religious culture. They believed that God would send a Messiah and that the Messiah would fix everything. When they encountered Jesus, they recognized Him as the promised Messiah and followed Him.

But then Jesus was crucified, and this new experience didn’t match their expectations for what a messiah would do and be. Their messiah was a two-dimensional rescuer from political oppression, not a three-dimensional Savior. Their messiah brought in a new nationalism, but Jesus ushered in a way of inclusive love for all people. Their messiah would correct and restore right religious fervor; but all Jesus spoke about was relationship with His Father in heaven.

As they walked along the road in this moment of deep change in their lives, Jesus “unfolded” the truth to them. He guided his friends into a transformed faith. Instead of a list of expectations for God to fulfill, Jesus brought to them a new expectancy that God can and will show up anywhere at any time. He demonstrated that it is His presence that changes everything, beginning with changing us.

Their faith and their lives were forever changed by this significant encounter. Suddenly, God was not just on the hook to rescue them; He was on the loose in the world. Not only did Jesus unfold their understanding that day; He unfolded their hearts to a new experience of God as well. And He desires to do the same in us.

The Real Question: What expectations tend to govern my faith? Where does God desire to unfold my heart to a new expectancy of His presence with me?

Family Talk: What is one thing you have learned lately about God or following Jesus?

ONE in Prayer: God, I confess that so often, I make you so much smaller than You are with my definitions of who You are and what You do. I open myself to simply expecting Your presence in my life, beyond definition. Amen.

Week 3 - A Welcome Change

That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.  As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them.  But God kept them from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”  

They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”

“What things?” Jesus asked.

“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.

“Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”

Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus unfolded to them the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!

 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, ³⁴ who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”

Luke 24:13-34

In the ancient world, showing hospitality to strangers was a part of survival; you never knew when you might be the one passing through in need of help. In the modern age, and especially in our Western culture of self-reliance, we have lost the welcoming of strangers and aliens. More often than not, we just dismiss or ignore people who we think don’t belong.

As followers of Jesus, we are to remember that we, too, are aliens who don’t belong to this world. Its ways and customs should be foreign to us. Instead, we belong to a kingdom of Love with a new way of life, including new customs and norms. In one of his letters, Peter reminds the Church, “Dear friends, I warn you as ‘strangers and aliens’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors.” [1 Peter 2:11-12a]

When God’s kingdom life moves us into the margins of the ways of this world, our hearts will open wide to the “strangers” that the world has marginalized or intentionally kept on the outside. We will end up walking together.

Our friends walking to Emmaus welcomed a stranger and were transformed by the gift of God in disguise. Who are we missing when we lived closed lives and just walk on by?

Perhaps God feels distant because we fail to welcome His presence in the strangers among us.

The Real Question: Am I living as an alien and a stranger to this world, or do I fit right in? How is God calling me to radically welcome the “strangers” around me?

Family Talk: Have you ever like you did not fit in or left out because you were a Christian? What was that like?

ONE in Prayer: God, help me to see Your face in the faces of those I meet. Change my heart to move away from guardedness and toward the welcome of Your love to others around me. Amen.

Week 3 - All Things New

That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.  As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them.  But God kept them from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”  

They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”

“What things?” Jesus asked.

“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.

“Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”

Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus unfolded to them the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!

 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, ³⁴ who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”

Luke 24:13-34

In three days, all that these followers of Jesus had put their hopes in had crumbled.  They knew that everything had changed forever; what they didn’t know yet was that everything was still changing. Jesus was making “all things new,” just as He had said.

Change is hard. It can be disorienting and painful. Sometimes it can seem like God has gone into hiding. But our inability to see God does not lessen the reality of His presence.

Scripture says that “Jesus himself” met these friends on the road to walk with them. Not an angel or a messenger; it was the Jesus they knew, but in disguise. Why would He keep Himself from them, knowing that His friends were hurting and confused?

It is one moment in our journey of faith to discover that God trusts us to come into His presence; it is another moment farther along the journey when we discover that God also trusts us in His “absence.” Though God is never truly absent, He may hide Himself for a time to let us examine our faith.

Deepest change as a follower of Jesus often happens when we discover that suddenly nothing is the same, and God is not telling us exactly what to do. During these times, He is believing in us to continue to follow Him, to keep trusting Him. He is not separating us from Himself; He is separating us from an old way of seeing so that we can experience Him in a brand new way.

Sometimes we forget that we are included in “all things” that are being made new. Change is part of the journey, but God is transforming us into people with hearts that burn for His Good News.

The Real Question: What is God making new in me right now? How is He changing my vision of Him and of the world?

Family Talk:  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? 

ONE in Prayer: Jesus, I want to be made new by You, but I usually don’t want the change that comes with it. Help me to trust You and receive the new vision You have for me. Amen.



God is constantly changing and growing me. I had to learn to trust Him when it didn’t seem like I could take the next breath. It is easy to look to others to gain acceptance, affirmation, love and security, but really I’m learning that I need to seek these things in God before ever allowing myself to find them in someone else. I am His work in progress from the inside out, and find myself lately with this overwhelming desire to know Him on a level different than I ever have before. There is a “deepness” to God that I think I have always been afraid to seek because I never felt that I was good enough to be allowed there.  Now I feel like something won’t be complete in me unless I find that place where He is and meet Him there.  

- Tracie

Week 3 - CHANGE

That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.  As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them.  But God kept them from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”  

They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”

“What things?” Jesus asked.

 “The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.

“Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”

Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus unfolded to them the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!

 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, ³⁴ who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”

Luke 24:13-34

Week 2 - Nothing Personal

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Matthew 14:22-32, NLT

Peter was the one disciple who found the courage to go over the side of the boat and walk on top of the water to meet Jesus. Without a doubt, it was one of the more formative moments of his relationship with God and this would influence the rest of His life.

But Jesus and Peter didn’t walk the rest of the way to the shore; they – both of them – climbed back into the boat, rejoining the others who were there. When they climbed aboard, the storm stopped. That’s what the story says. Peter’s leap of faith brought peace and presence to his entire community of disciples. One person’s trust.

Though the journey begins with an individual choice to receive the love of God, Christianity is not a personal or private faith. Whether or not you trust God, or how much you trust Him, is not your own private affair. Your trust in God, or lack of it, always impacts others around you.

Peter’s example shows us that if we are willing to open up in trust to the greater possibilities of God’s presence, we will bring the Savior into places that have become fearful and dangerous, to circumstances that are confused, and to people who are lost and hurting. In sharing our walk with God, we give others the gift of seeing what their faith may not have been ready yet to see on their own. And by this living out loud and together, God will be made recognizable as a saving presence among us.

That is what happened out on the sea that night. God showed up, one person trusted, and everyone was changed. This is the story we are called to live in as well.

The Real Question: Do I live my trust in God out loud? Do others see and experience God’s saving presence more because of the way I live?

Family Talk:  Share with your kids how their faith has encouraged your own faith.  Express to your children how much you love and appreciate them just as they are. 

ONE in Prayer: God, help me to appreciate the significance of my trust in You, not just for myself but also for others. I want to be the one who brings You back into the boat of our world so that all may see God for Who He is. Amen.

Week 2 - Trusting Presence

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Matthew 14:22-32, NLT

Over the roar of crashing waves that night, Jesus said to the disciples, “Take courage. It is I!”

The radical truth about Jesus is that He does not reveal God to be one who insists on everything being cleaned up and calmed down before He will show up. No. Our God shows up where we might least expect Him – or want Him, sometimes – right in the middle of all that’s going wrong. And this is what gives Jesus’ words such power. He was not speaking some platitude or cliché from a safe distance; He was inside the storm with His friends.

It was Jesus’ presence with His friends that opened a way for them through their fear into a new experience of a reality greater than the one that was swamping them at the moment.

As we weather storms and times of deep transition in our lives, if we listen closely, we might hear the Spirit of Jesus say to us, “Remember, this is ME you’re talking to! Remember that I am the one who loves deeply, who calms the sea. I care for the hungry, the hurting, and the broken. I am your friend, and I am right here.”

As human beings prone to fear, the first step toward trusting God is to receive the courage He gives to us in the form of His presence. When we remember that the Prince of Peace walks with us as our friend, we can let go of fear in anything we face. And, like Peter, we may find ourselves doing things we never imagined possible.

The Real Question: Have I fully received God’s presence into my life this day? Where might I trust Him more if I did?

Family Talk:  When do you feel God is closest? 

ONE in Prayer:  Jesus, it is amazing that You come to me in the midst of my troubles, pain, and brokenness, but I know that it is Your love that makes all things well. Help me to remember Your love and presence are with me as I learn to trust you more. Amen.

I don't really have a choice but to trust God in our efforts to start a family.  It is obvious that we are NOT in control.  He is.  He is the creator.  As much as I think I want to start a family of our own, I don’t want to manufacture it myself out of my own efforts.  I feel this putting distance between me and God.  This has changed from asking God specifically for a child to a more general approach of trusting and asking Him to reveal his purpose in my life.  Blessing us with a child may or may not be part of that, but there is still a purpose and a plan.  I have simplified contentment in my heart.  Contentment is simply that God has already given me everything when He offered salvation to me. 

– Twila

Week 2 - Trust, Not Clarity

Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Matthew 14:22-32, NLT

A story is told of a man who, in trying to discern a new direction for his life, went to work for several months with Mother Teresa of Calcutta. He thought that being apart from his life and devoting time to something entirely different might help him with his deep questions and doubts about where his life should take him next.

After weeks of serving the sick and dying, the day came when this man finally met Mother Teresa, as he had been hoping to do all along. She asked him how she could pray for him. He replied, “Mother, pray that I will have clarity on what it is God wants me to do with my life,” and then he began sharing about his complex questions and concerns for what lay ahead.

Mother Teresa waited for him to stop talking and then replied, “No, I will not pray for that. I will not pray for you to have clarity. I will pray that you will trust God. I have served Him for many years, and I have never had clarity, but I have trusted Him. That is what you must do.”

In her own way, this simple woman had come to know the art of walking on water with God. She learned that clarity never saved a life; trust is what is needed.  Peter learned this as he began to sink within Jesus’ reach. As we all live within the reach of Jesus, we must learn this as well.

The Real Question: Do I insist on fully understanding God before I can trust Him?

Family Talk:  What questions do you have about God?  Remind your kids that questions and doubts are not bad, they are normal and a part of growing as a person. 

ONE in Prayer: God, help me to let go of my need to understand before I put my trust in you. Help me to remember that I live within your reach. Amen.